Belfast Bikes

Belfast Bikes, also known for sponsorship reasons as Just Eat Belfast Bikes as is a public bicycle rental scheme which has operated in the city of Belfast since April 2015. At its launch, the scheme, which was then sponsored by Coca-Cola HBC, used 300 Unisex bicycles with 30 stations.

Just Eat Belfast Bikes
Overview
OwnerBelfast City Council
LocaleBelfast, Northern Ireland
Transit typeBicycle sharing system
Number of stations45
Websitebelfastbikes.co.uk
Operation
Began operation27 April 2015
Operator(s)NSL
Number of vehicles632

Belfast City Council owns the scheme. The Department for Regional Development (DRD) provided initial capital funding for the scheme as part of their Active Travel Demonstration Projects budget. NSL is looking after the daily operation of the scheme, while Nextbike is responsible for the bikes.

Expansion and development

Starting initially with 30 stations, the number has increased to 45, and has expanded beyond the city centre area. This includes two stations at Queen's University Belfast (the cost of which was covered by the University), one close to the Titanic Belfast Convention Centre, and at the Mater, Royal Victoria and Belfast City Hospitals (the cost covered by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust). Locations in more residential areas (Shankill Road, Duncairn and the new CS Lewis Square) is also a new feature of the expanding scheme.

Plans for expansion are ratified by vote by Belfast City Council Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

Sponsorship

At its launch the scheme was sponsored by Coca-Cola HBC for a three-year period and was known as Coca-Cola Zero Belfast Bikes.[1] In April 2018 this sponsorship deal ended and after a tendering process Just Eat were named as the new sponsors in August 2018 with the scheme to be branded as Just Eat Belfast Bikes.[2]

Costs

To use the system, users need to take out a subscription, which allows the subscriber an unlimited number of rentals. Subscribers can get an Annual Hire Card costing £25, or a 3-day ticket costing £6.[3] Users also authorise Belfast Bikes to charge £120 from their credit card if the bike is not returned. The first half-hour of every journey is free, after that a service charge applies. See below for pricing structure:

Time 30 min 1 hr 2 hrs 3 hrs 4 hrs
Rate Free £0.50 £1.50 £2.50 £3.50

In response to a Freedom of Information request, Belfast City Council published financial figures relating to subsidies to the scheme. In its first year, the Council subsidised it to the tune of £173,000. From April 2016 to April 2017, this increased to £215,000, despite a Business Case showing subsidies would reduce from £56,440 (April 2015 to April 2016), £23,050 (April 2016 - April 2017) and return a profit of £10,730 (April 2017 - April 2018).[4]

Stations

[5]

Name Bikes Launch Date
Alfred Street / St Malachy's Church 14 27 April 2015
Arthur Street / Chichester Street 18 27 April 2015
Bankmore Square / Dublin Road 16 27 April 2015
Botanic Avenue / Shaftesbury Square 16 27 April 2015
Bradbury Place 16 27 April 2015
Carrick Hill / St Patricks Church 12 27 April 2015
Castle Place / Royal Avenue 22 27 April 2015
Cathedral Gardens / York Street 20 27 April 2015
Central Station / East Bridge Street 20 27 April 2015
Central Station / Mays Meadow 20 27 April 2015
City Hall 20 27 April 2015
College Square East 16 27 April 2015
Corporation Square 14 27 April 2015
Cotton Court / Waring Street 12 27 April 2015
Donegall Quay 16 27 April 2015
Dunbar Link / Gordon Street 8 27 April 2015
Duncairn Centre / Antrim Road 8 27 April 2015
Europa Bus Station / Blackstaff Square 16 27 April 2015
Gasworks (Cromac Street) 12 27 April 2015
Gasworks (Lagan Towpath) 16 27 April 2015
Great Victoria Street / Hope Street 18 27 April 2015
Linenhall Street / Donegall Square South 16 27 April 2015
Millfield / Divis Street 18 27 April 2015
North Street / Waring Street 16 27 April 2015
Odyssey / Sydenham Road 22 27 April 2015
Royal Avenue / Castlecourt 12 27 April 2015
Smithfield / Winetavern Street 12 27 April 2015
St George's Market / Cromac Square 12 27 April 2015
Victoria Square / Victoria Street 10 27 April 2015
Waterfront 24 27 April 2015
Writer's Square / St Anne's Cathedral 16 27 April 2015
Queens University / Botanic Gardens 14 27 November 2015
Queens University / University Road 16 27 November 2015
Titanic Quarter 18 1 December 2015
Belfast City Hospital / Lisburn Road 14 1 August 2016
Royal Victoria Hospital 20 1 August 2016
Mater Hospital / Crumlin Road 10 7 September 2016
Girdwood Community Hub 18 13 October 2016
Shankill Leisure Centre 18 13 October 2016
CS Lewis Square 16 22 November 2016

See here for a map of the current Belfast Bike docking stations.

See also
  • List of bicycle sharing systems

References
  1. "Coca-Cola Zero to sponsor Belfast's public bike scheme". Belfast City Council. 10 February 2015.
  2. "Headline". The Irish News. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  3. http://www.belfastbikes.co.uk/en/belfast/prices/
  4. "Belfast Bike". Whatdotheyknow. 3 March 2017.
  5. "Belfast Bikes – Docking Stations Locations and Routes". Detail Data. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
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